Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG/PRESCOTT - A shortage of available gymnasiums between Prescott and Waitsburg means the boys and girls high school basketball teams alternate between early and late practices in Waitsburg while middle school students practice in Prescott. Neither coaches nor athletes are fans of the late practice schedule, but it became "the straw that broke the camel's back" when a proposed - then rejected - solution to that problem resulted in the pending termination of the Waitsburg Prescott...
DAYTON - Columbia County Commissioners nearly settled the question of which power company to use for its two main facilities in Dayton during the regular board meeting last week. For nearly a year the governing body has been considering a switch from Pacific Power & Light, which currently provides utilities to the Columbia County Courthouse and the Columbia County Public Works building, to Columbia Rural Electric Association. The commissioners have argued that the change would not only save the...
DAYTON - During their regular meeting last week, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners last week voted to extend the county's moratorium on marijuana businesses three more months. The vote came after a short public hearing in which two speakers encouraged them to allow marijuana businesses in the county. With the county's yearlong moratorium running out that day, the commissioners faced four choices: 1. Pass an ordinance defining specific zones in which marijuana businesses would be...
WAITSBURG - At least 25 people gathered at the Lions Building in Waitsburg Monday evening to attend a public hearing on a planned new housing development in the city called Whoopemup Meadows. While many came to comment on the proposal, the hearing had to be cancelled because two members of the commission did not show up, and the group did not have a quorum. Commission Chair William Potolichio, was in attendance, along with board members K.C. Kuykendall and Karen Gregutt. However, the two other c...
WAITSBURG - Infrastructure development for the first phase of Whoopemup Meadows, a new housing development in Waitsburg's northwest corner, will likely begin next year, its developers say. In an interview this week, Gene Warren, one of the principals of Warren Land Company, along with his wife, Mary, said, however, it's too early to speculate on a specific schedule for the development. "There are many unknowns at this point," Warren said. "But next year we do plan to start Phase I." The Warrens...
DAYTON - The employees are hired and maintenance on the equipment is complete. Season ticket sales are well under way. The only thing holding up skiing at Ski Bluewood, 20 miles south of here, is snow. "This isn't unusual," Bluewood General Manager Kim Clark told The Times this week. "Historically, Bluewood has generally opened around mid December." Clark said that several inches of snow are on the ground at the top of the hill but there is very little at the base. "With the inversion the past...
WAITSBURG - On Monday, Waitsburg resident Gabriel "Gabe" Hofer made his first appearance in Walla Walla County Superior Court in response to assault charges filed against him by the Walla Walla Prosecutors' Office in late November. Hofer is accused of assaulting Richard "Rikki" W. Perez, who he found with his sister, Mariah, when she died of a drug overdose last January. Perez was Mariah's ex-boyfriend and had been released from jail days before the overdose. According to a probable cause...
PRESCOTT – Jubilee Leadership Academy ( JLA) is dedicated to bringing hope to hurting and struggling teens. Their mission, as stated on their website, is “Teaching and modeling that the divine image of God is within all human beings. We strive to provide a Christ-centered community where youth can find a new beginning.” JLA’s ongoing successes toward that goal makes the academy a supremely fitting recipient of the prestigious WORLD News Group’s Hope Award. On Nov. 20 JLA Director Rick Griffin tr...
WAITSBURG - With an increase in wind farm activity and a pulp mill planned for the Starbuck area, the time just mightABBREVIATEDresidential housing be right forLEGALa DESCRIPTION:development in Waitsburg. The Waitsburg Planning Commission will consider a multitude of factors as they meet with Warren UTILITIES:Land Company owners and determine whether or not to send their recently submitted preliminary plat proposal on forSETBACKS:by the city council.consideration The public hearing...
DAYTON - A Dayton man was arrested in Waitsburg by Walla Walla County Sheriff's deputies Monday afternoon on a warrant stemming from a stabbing that took place in Dayton on Nov. 25. Dante Brown, 19, was taken into custody during a traffic stop and was booked into the Walla Walla jail at about 6 p.m. Brown is alleged to have stabbed Dalton Bennett in the back during an altercation on Dayton's north side. The stabbing took place at a home at 718 E. Dayton Ave. Brown fled the scene and the warrant...
DAYTON - Columbia and Walla Walla Counties counted their remaining general election ballots Monday, and those results appeared to push the hospital levy measure vote over the needed 60% approval threshold to pass. With all of the votes counted in both counties, 60.08% of the total votes were in favor. If the final count holds, the levy will pass by two votes. The preliminary ballot count after Nov. 7 showed 59.99% in favor, one vote shy of the 60% needed to pass. On Monday, Columbia County Auditor's Office counted its final 17 ballots, with 13...
DAYTON - Paul Hendrickson began working at Elk Drug, in downtown Dayton, in 1968. He and his wife, Marcene, purchased the business in 1979 when the pharmacy was 90 years old. Now, nearly 47 years later, Hendrickson has concluded his career as a pharmacist and has retired - for the second time. He is followed by longtime employees Sherry Groom and Kathy Berg. "I feel blessed to have had such loyal employees and customers - from both Dayton and Waitsburg - over the years," Hendrickson said. The...
WAITSBURG - There were lots of questions for Washington State Liquor Control Board Contact Rules Coordinator Karen McCall when she attended Waitsburg's Nov. 19 City Council meeting to answer questions about the implementation of I-502. So many, in fact, that mayor Walt Gobel had to cut short the Q&A session in order to accommodate the rest of the meeting's agenda. Several members of the public left without asking questions, but grabbed one of McCall's business cards before exiting. Councilwoman...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg's school board, at their Nov. 12, 2014 meeting, approved a collective bargaining agreement between the Waitsburg School District and the Waitsburg Education Association. The agreement, which was to be signed and posted on the District's website on Nov. 17, enumerates the rights of both the district and the association with respect to wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment. According to Waitsburg Education Association Co-president Jim Leid, Waitsburg was one of...
DAYTON - Kris Takemura, of Dayton, was honored as the 2014 citizen of the year by the Dayton Chamber of Commerce at their annual awards banquet last week. Takemura is a Dayton native and has been active in many community groups. The Banquet was held on a snowy Thursday evening, but a nearly full house was on hand to enjoy a dinner catered by The Country Gentleman. Other category award winners named at the banquet included and McKenzie Delp as Youth Citizen of the Year, Diana Ashley, of State...
WAITSBURG - Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of small town living is that neighbors tend to care for one another. With the holidays just around the corner, several groups are gearing up to provide needy families with holiday meals. There are plenty of ways to get involved, whether you're in a position to give or in need of a gift. The Kid's Big Give Thanksgiving Baskets The Kid's Big Give is busy gathering food donations to fill 25 Thanksgiving meal baskets for 110 area residents. The...
DAYTON - Out of 2,482 total votes cast on ballots counted so far for the Columbia County Hospital District levy in last week's election, the measure has received 1,489 votes to approve and 993 votes to reject. With that number of votes cast, the 60% threshold to pass the levy would be 1,489.2. According to Columbia County Auditor Sharon Richter, about 15 ballots remain to be counted in Columbia County. Walla Walla County Auditor Karen Martin told The Times that in the portion of Walla Walla...
Makenna Barron, of Waitsburg, sang the national anthem during October's "Pink Out" fundraiser volleyball game in Waitsburg between WP and Dayton last month. Earlier this fall eight-year-old Makenna performed at the Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo....
